Development

One of the biggest responsibilities that the FIH has is to develop the game of hockey and its athletes in both the traditional countries and those that are just learning about the game. Read on to see how the FIH can help your country develop the game.

National Hockey Development Planning

In principle these guidelines have been made to assist National Hockey Associations in the making of a National Hockey Development Plan. Also those who want to start up hockey in a country and/or plan to found a National Hockey Association will certainly find useful information and suggestions contained in these guidelines. Regional associations and clubs that want to look ahead and plan their future can make use of this tool as well. We suggest a period of 4 or 5 years as the planning horizon for a National Hockey Development Plan (NHDP) and to review the NHDP every 1 or 2 years on the basis of achievements so far and new opportunities that may arise.

Working method

We consider the following steps are necessary to create a National Hockey Development Plan:

Getting to know your development status (current position)

Based on that: defining your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats

These guidelines are to assist National Hockey Associations to develop a National Hockey Development Plan. It is also useful for nations looking to start a hockey program as well as regional associations that are looking ahead to the future. When planning your development program, three steps are necessary to be successful: gauging your current status; defining your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats; and planning for the future. With that in mind, you can successfully use the tools below:

Club and Association Development Manual

In its efforts to make hockey accessible and possible for all, the FIH recognises that school, company and other organisational forms of hockey mentioned above, are very important, even essential, but it also recognises that there are not sufficient facilities for “hockey for all”.

Players leaving school or university are often unable to continue playing hockey, because of the lack of hockey clubs. This deprives these players of participating in their favoured sport at a time when the most talented players are reaching their highest performance level and when it is important for all, talented and not so much talented, that sport continues to be a part of their lifestyle. That is regrettable for players at whatever level they play, and also for the performance level of hockey in that country. In this situation not only do we lose a huge number of players at a relatively early age, but also very importantly, we lose many supporters and potential volunteers who would be involved in the running of hockey.

Making the decision to start a hockey club, whether it is within a multi-sports club, within a company club or as a separate entity, can be a daunting process. There are many issues that require careful consideration. The FIH recognises the importance of providing guidelines to assist clubs in their endeavour to become established within the hockey community, and have developed this manual as a guide.

In order to be successful as a club, careful planning and commitment is needed by all involved. National and Regional Associations and clubs need to develop operating strategies, which enable them to attract and retain members, and to utilise the opportunities presented to them. Furthermore one cannot overlook the value of voluntary and paid staff at all club levels. Their contribution is extensive and in many instances associations and clubs cannot operate without them.

This guide aims to support and encourage hockey associations and clubs to develop and further promote themselves. Each of these have their own needs and they should be prepared to deal with the dynamics and demands that the future presents.

The term club has been used interchangeably with association, to describe a union of people, belonging to an organised structure. It can be a standalone hockey club or one that is part of a multi-sport association.

This Club Development Guide can be used to help you establish or further develop your hockey association or club.

The guide has 4 sections:1. Creating a better Club

2. Club Management

3. Putting it into Practice

4. Junior Development

Making the decision to start a hockey club can be a daunting process. The FIH recognises the importance of providing guidelines to assist clubs in their endeavour to become established within the hockey community, and has developed this manual as a guide. In order to be successful as a club, careful planning and commitment is needed. National and Regional Associations and clubs need to develop operating strategies to attract and retain members. One cannot overlook the value of voluntary and paid staff at all club levels.

This guide aims to support and encourage hockey associations and clubs to develop and further promote themselves. Each of these have their own needs and they should be prepared to deal with the dynamics and demands that the future presents.This Club & Association Development Guide can be used to help you establish or further develop your hockey association or club.

Hockey, a Sport for Everybody!

Worldwide we see that hockey is a real sport for all – for boys and girls, men and women, 7 to 70 year olds, able and disabled bodies, starters and stars – basically everybody!

Often you see the whole family being active on and around the hockey pitch; as player, coach, umpire, and organizer or as a passionate fan!

However the categories mentioned above, are not fully represented in all countries. In some places you see that hockey is mainly played by females, whereas in other places hockey is a real male sport. We see countries with only adult players, others with only youth. Some cultural groups are not well represented in hockey and the opportunities for people with a disability to join the hockey family are not always available.

In this section of the website you will find FIH and country initiatives that attempt to make Hockey even more a Sport for All.

Worldwide we see that hockey is a Sport for All – for boys and girls, men and women, 7 to 70 year olds, able and disabled individuals, starters and stars – basically everybody! Here you can find a small sample of what various nations around the globe are doing to promote hockey across every imaginable sector. Let us know what your country is doing to promote the game to the masses to make Hockey a Sport for Everybody!

Funding

You can have great ideas to develop hockey, but without funding these ideas will unfortunately not materialize!

The IOC provides Olympic Solidarity grants to develop sport structures, teams and individuals via its NOCs. We suggest you build a good relationship with your NOC and let them know why hockey should be included in the various programs.

The FIH also provides funds for National Associations via the Continental Federation. Information can be obtained through the Continental Development Officers.

Continental Development

So you've read through all the material on starting a new hockey program and want to get started. But what is the first step? Your Continental Federation is a good point of contact and is here to help. Get in touch to get more hockey activity underway in your country!